Homes for sale described as "in need of TLC" or "as is" condition are good indicators of those in need of repair. Many of these homes can be found for sale through a real estate agent or for sale by owner, but there are other resources as well.

> Searching for a Property to Renovate?
> Historic Preservation Tax Credits
> Incentive Programs for Reinvestment
> Live Baltimore Preferred Renovation Specialists
> What you Need to Know Before Taking on a Renovation Project
> The Story of Formstone
> Tips When Interviewing A Contractor
> Helpful links to local organizations & salvage shops
> Concerned about housing code enforcement?
> Is Your Contractor Licensed? Search them through the State of Maryland
> Home Builders Association of Maryland
> American Contractor Exchange
 

Whether it's fixing up a kitchen or adding on a half bathroom, there are many things to consider before taking on a renovation project.

 Is this the right house for you?  Can you afford the fiscal and emotional costs that are involved in taking this project on?

 How much should you offer to pay for the house?  Consider how much your total investment will be with the renovation complete; does it compare with the price of comparable homes on the market today? Will you be able to stay in the home long enough for the neighborhood to appreciate to a similar level?

 How are you going to pay for the renovation costs and are these cost projections realistic? Will you need to borrow funds for this project or will you complete it as you can afford it?

 Will this property be used as a rental? If so, you need to be sure the home is free of lead hazards and certified as such. The City of Baltimore offers grant and loan programs to assist with this.

 Who is going to do the repair work? Some types of loans may require that you hire a licensed contractor to ensure the integrity of the work. Through the State of Maryland you can search that a license is in good standing and if there have been complaints filed at www.dllr.state.md.us/query/home_imprv.html. It is a criminal offense to solicit oneself for home improvements without a license.

 Foreclosures. These properties can be found through a real estate agent, The State of Maryland, HUD and Fannie Mae directly.

 City Owned Properties. There are two ways to buy property from the City of Baltimore, you can either respond to a solicitation for offers (such as a Request for Proposal, listing on the Multiple List Service or an advertisement of available property) or you can make an unsolicited offer to the city. Some of these properties were acquired through Project 5000 activities, an effort by the City to acquire, clear title, and redevelop 5,000 vacant properties. Once acquired, the properties become City-owned and are sold through the process described, like other City-owned properties. Other City-owned properties are sold using local real estate agents. For more information, visit Baltimore Housing's website.


Baltimore offers a wide variety of renovation incentives that include both loan programs and generous tax credits. There are 10 areas targeted in the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative program which feature below market rate loans for acquisition and rehabilitation of the property.  There are also property tax credits offered from both the city and the State of Maryland on your reinvestment in over 60 city historic districts. You can search Baltimore City's I-Map database to determine if a property you're considering is located in one of these historic districts and therefore eligible for tax credits.

A tour through many of Baltimore's rowhouse neighborhoods will reveal a façade style not found in many other cities, Formstone. Introduced in the 1950's, Formstone was a modern day solution to early Baltimore brick that was so poor it needed frequent painting to keep it from deteriorating, but soon became an icon of status for many homeowners.

The appeal of Formstone was that once installed, it virtually required no maintenance. Salesmen boasted that the insulation lasted forever and that the first cost was also the last as no upkeep or repair was required, and it was also about one-third the cost of other façade improvement solutions. Its colorful stucco-veneer gave a stone-like appearance that could be shaped into different textures. Formstone was particularly popular in East Baltimore, where residents believed that the stone imitation made their neighborhood resemble that of an Eastern European town, which some thought had an appearance of affluence.

Patented in 1937 by L. Albert Knight, Formstone was similar to a product that was invented 8 years earlier in Columbus, Ohio called Permanent Stone, which was also a veneer. In the 1970's preservationists and rehabbers felt that Formstone took away from the historic and architectural value of the homes and many had it removed. This can be a costly and time consuming process. Once removed, the brick requires a thorough acid-wash cleaning and then repointing of the grout.

Source: The Baltimore Rowhouse by Mary Ellen Hayward and Charles Belfoure

 Request references and check them.
 If the contractor is providing lead paint abatement services be sure they are accredited to do this type of work from the state.
 Get a copy of the contractor's current liability insurance certificate.
 Get a contract in writing.
 Pay no more than 1/3 of the contract price as down payment.
 If a building permit is needed, ask to see it before work starts.